Anyone know of an Italian textbook like French for Graduate reading or Lingua Latina? I like the inductive method, and I violently revile most modern language textbooks (I own Prego). I also don't want to sit around in my boxers practicing how to find directions to the airport or telling Lupita that I am going to meet Giovanni for drinks at the Piazza at noon.

When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him. ~Swift

Sorry to raise this old thread from the dead, but did anyone give this text a try? I'm looking to just dabble in Italian, see how I like it. I would like to read Dante some day, and have some skill in a language that is still spoken as a first language.

So, does anyone have any good suggestions for Italian texts that will prepare me for literature and not just finding the airport?

I have only used a traditional course, Ultimate Italian: Beginner-Intermediate, but I thought it put me in a decent position to read literature afterwords. All you really need is the grammatical knowledge combined with vocabulary learning. If you want to jump into reading, the best way might be to give yourself a crash course in grammar, followed by sustained reading and lots of vocabulary study/look-up. Personally, I find it useful to have a grounding in the colloquial language--even just a bit--before experimenting with the literature.

paulusnb wrote:I have never found the book for a good price. 80$ on a book that will probably end up untouched on the floor next to my bed is too much. Alas, my children have made me broke!

I hear you can make a good dime selling your children into slavery these days. And besides the immediate payoff, think of how much you'll save on food, education, spare-time, etc. The best part is that if you want kids again, you can always make more!